Welcome to I hope you enjoy my blog. I have links to the books I have written posted here. Along with a few family history links. I have projects we have done and are doing. Some ideas on food storage recipes and other hints. Along with our homestead chatter and crafts.

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Monday, May 30, 2011

I want to make sure I pay tribute to all those that have foughtand are at this time. Bless you for your sacrifice.

This goes out to all, those in our family and to those we have never met. And to the families that have had members who have paid the ultimate price.

I am taking a break for bit.

Dave is out raking leaves and branches up and taking them to the pile. He finished cleaning the barn again today and it looks great.Of course is is sprinkling huge drops of rain out there right now.

I got a double batch of just plain of oatmeal soap made this morning while he was busy in the barn. As I was adding and stirring under the new roof where the summer kitchen is going Lissie dog who was standing beside me took off like a flash for the chicken yard area. I looked up and there was a large coyote about 30 feet from the chicken yard. She chased it off pretty quick.

It took Friday and Saturday to get the summer kitchen roof all decked and then tar paperedand so on.It it so nice to have a place to make soap where I won't get rained on at least and away form the little girl.On Saturday we gotsnowed hailed and rained on. It did finally get to 44 degrees but that wind was very cold.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Whew what a day I am tired out and it is only going on 3 in the afternoon.Our daughter Kathy had tests this morning, they were doing an endoscope down her throat. Plus she had to have someone drive her home so in we went and I watched 2 1/2 year old Kaylee while she was in there getting it done.

Kaylee and I went up to Goodwill and found a couple of things, 1 was a nice colander with a handle for putting on a bowl for draining cheese with just holes in the bottom.

Well they found she has 2 ulcers and in pretty bad shape. Should take about 6 months to heal them up.

It is another cool day with a colder front coming in. They are saying snow/rain for Thursday.

We hope all in the ravaged areas from the tornadoes are safe. We have many relatives and friends in the areas that have been hit and send our prayers to all there.

I managed to get some blackberry/oatmeal soap made. Now to get some more made.

New 51 Week Storage Ideas Week Ten

This is for two (2) people so buy according to your family’s size.

List:

10 pounds oatmeal, more if you wish

8 cans or jars applesauce

1-pound wheat bran

5 pounds cornmeal

1 large container cinnamon

1 container ground cloves

4 canned hams in size you prefer

Recipes:

Whole Wheat/White - Cheese - Ham - Bread

2 tab. Yeast

2 c. warm water

2-½ c. or so of white flour

2 c. whole-wheat flour

1 c. wheat bran

1 tsp. salt

6 oz. Mozzarella cheese diced

¼ pound diced ham

Corn meal

Mix first six ingredients, knead, rise, punch down, and knead in cheese and ham. Form into one large loaf. Put on baking sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Rise. Put a pan of water in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 10 minutes then 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove pan of water the last 15 minutes.

Applesauce Bread

Makes 4 loaves bake 350 deg. 50 to 60 minutes

3 c. applesauce

3 c. oatmeal

1 ¼ c. margarine or butter

1 ½ c. sugar or 2 c. honey

4 eggs

2-½ c. whole-wheat flour

2-½ c. white flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tab. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves

After poured in pans run a sharp knife down the center of the loaves. Bake, then cool 10 minutes then turn out of pans.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I should have had a post up before now but I have been under the weather the last few days.

Got up to 36 degrees this morning, it just reached 40 degrees.We were back to warm hats and winter coats last evening putting up 2 more joists on the summer kitchen roof.We were babysitting Kaylee and as I helped Dave also kept an eye on Kaylee. She was all over of course lol.And she did not want to come back inside when the 2 joists were up and the evening chores were done.

We sure were hoping to get an early garden in this year a May one. But that doesn't look like it is going to happen, We are supposed to get colder at night again this week and it has been raining so much the garden is just a large mud pit.

1 bottle of molasses (we buy by the gallon but I use it in making bread)

1 jar or can dry mustard

3 pounds of salt

Baked Beans

This is a very old recipe

3 pounds navy beans

1-cup brown sugar

½ cup molasses

½ pound bacon cut in chucks

1-tablespoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 large onion peeled

Never use cold water on your beans.

Soak the beans in warm water one hour.Bring to boil in fresh warm water and simmer ten minutes.Add a teaspoon of baking soda, stir well and drain.Place beans in a pot or bean pot; add seasonings, placing whole onion in center of the beans.Add enough warm to hot water to nearly cover the beans and cook at a low temperature for 8 to 10 hours, or bake in slow oven.

Canned bacon can be used or bacon TVP (textured vegetable protein) and a couple tablespoons of bacon grease for more flavoring.

Refried Beans

1-pound pinto or red beans

6 cup hot water=boil then add

2 tablespoons baking soda

After degassing then:

2 teaspoons salt

¼ to ½ cups bacon grease or lard

Rinse beans in warm water, put in a large pot with 3 quarts warm water bring to a boil and boil 3 minutes. Take off the stove and put pot in the sink, add the baking soda it will bubble and turn green.

Pour beans in a colander and rinse with warm or hot water, never ever cold. Rinse your pot.

Add the water from recipe, then add beans and salt. Cook on med heat for 30 minutes then simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender.In a large skillet heat your lard or grease over a med. Heat. Mash the beans lightly and then dump into the skillet stir and mash the beans until hot. Serve

15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, achoose you bthis day whom ye will cserve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my dhouse, we will eserve the Lord.

Okay folks here is the book giveaway information again.

Just put your names in comments and that you want to be part of the giveaway and I will make a list for June 15, 2011 when I will write out your names and put them in a hat to select one.

When I post the name of the winner on or after the 15 of June I will post the need for your email and you then can send it to my email address hows that.

This is for coleslaw, cucumbers or even lettuce. This is the only salad dressing we ever ate while I was growing up.

1-cup miracle whip

1-tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoon sugar or to taste

2 tablespoons milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Double as needed for large batch

Spiritual:

Study the life of President George Albert Smith

This is just some of his wisdom.

We have learned how President George Albert Smith lived a righteous life and kept God’s commandments. Although he faced some very frightening situations in his life, he did not seem to be much troubled by them.

This is a statement he made as an Apostle during World War I: “Though the world may be filled with distress, and the heavens gather blackness, and the vivid lightnings flash, and the earth quake from center to circumference, if we know that God lives, and our lives are righteous, we will be happy, there will be peace unspeakable because we know our Father approves our lives” (George Albert Smith, in Conference Report, Oct. 1915, p. 28).

Never think you won't need a car kit.

At some time it will come in handy.

A few years ago we took a day trip down to Boise Idaho to go to a sons school track meet.

Low and behold on the way home that late afternoon there had been a landslide and part of a mountain covered the highway. We were many miles from the town behind us and were blessed that the landslide wasn't far from a rest area to at least park in and use the facilities.

That wasn't the last time we were marooned overnight for one reason or another. One was because the car broke down. (Alternator went out.)

The simple act of being able to brush your teeth the next morning and wash your face does wonders. (Not all rest stops have soap it seems and just those blow dryer things for hands.)

Extra underclothing sure comes in handy at certain times also.

Not to mention something to drink and some kind of snack to get you and others by until you get somewhere. Especially if you happen to be or have a diabetic with you.

This last Monday I finished off the Farmers cheese we had draining, added salt to 6 pounds worth mixed it in and bagged it up in zip lock bags and into the freezer it went.

I decided next time to make a note to myself to not do so much at one time. Those 3 gallon pots get awful heavy and awkward to pour curd out of without splashing it all over the kitchen. Did 5 1/2 gallons of milk.

Farmer cheese can be used on crackers, cheese balls or even used to make cheese cake etc.

Here is the Junket Rennet link again that you use to make cheese and it has wonderful recipes not only for cheese but for ice cream and other things.

I am going to put a new page on my blog with the cheese recipes from Junket.

The first daffodils of spring finally bloomed this week. And our lilacs have buds on the branches.

Here is a picture of a wild Mountain Lily.

I picked a bunch of morel mushrooms growing right in front of the daffodils on Monday also. I washed and bagged them up to give to a friend where Dave works that loves them. I like them to but he shares lots of things with us so I thought it would be nice to share with him.

Dave has been working on the new lean to.

Okay folks it is time for a book giveaway.

Just put your names in comments and that you want to be part of the giveaway and I will make a list for June 15, 2011 when I will write out your names and put them in a hat.

When I post the name of the winner on or after the 15 of June I will post the need for your email and you then can send it to my email address hows that. It is posted at the top of the blog page.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Hard to believe it is the first week of May.The snow is flying out there with high winds. It was a cold trip to the chicken coop this morning.

Dave was hoping he would be able to work outside last night after work before the dark descended. But the cold rain was coming down pretty good.

My friend Pat in Houston Texas let me know her husband was in a car accident yesterday (truck). He is okay but this is a big blow to them.

My sister in law Sandy was supposed to have had another surgery this week, they are trying to get rid of the infection that just doesn't seem to go away. They had to cut out more skin and chip bone away in her skull again I believe.

I am hoping we can get our garden area tilled in 2 weeks and get the potatoes in the ground. Here is our garden area just sitting there waiting for the rototiller.

Sallys Country Home

Informational Sites

About Us

We are the parents of 10 children. We have 5 boys and 5 girls. We lost 1 daughter Dec 3 2012. My husband and I live on a small old farm built in the 1930s, it is in need a lot of work. It is getting done little by little. Each year finds improvements made. We are down to lots of chickens, 2 dogs and 1 cat. At different times of the year we raise Cornish X-Rock meat birds and turkeys. I write,love taking pictures,doing family history, reading, wash and spin wool, do all sorts of needlework, quilt, garden, can and dehydrate produce and I love learning new crafts. Together we reroofed the house and built a roof over our deck. Hubby is very handy and is a jack of all trades. Farm fence work is continuing.